MDTrip Report: Colorado Springs, CO

Broadmoor Resort

Looking for an interesting summer vacation destination?  We encourage you to visit Colorado Springs, Colorado.  There are several attractions for all ages located in Colorado Springs, not to mention the breathtaking scenery around every turn. 

If you’re looking for a place to stay in the area, you cannot go wrong staying at The Broadmoor Resort.  The Broadmoor has three 18-hole golf courses with some of the most impressive views of the Rockie Mountains.  Along with the golf courses, there are several other activities for families such as horseback riding, swimming, paddle boats and much more.  After a long day of golf and hiking, The Broadmoor also has a spa to help you relax.

We also encourage you to visit the Garden of the Gods Park, which is a National Natural Landmark.  Here you can take a guided tour, hike or bike ride through some of the best views of Pikes Peak and tall sandstone rock formations.  A tour will teach you about the cultural history and geology of the Colorado Springs area. 

Garden of the Gods

 After viewing Pikes Peak from the Garden of Gods Park, take a short trip over to get an up close view of the peak 14,115 feet above sea level.  In order to reach the summit you can hike, drive or even catch a ride on the Pikes Peak Cog Railway.  If you are an adventurous person consider riding a bike 20 miles down the Pikes Peak Highway with the Challenge Unlimited Tour. 

Need even more of an adrenaline rush?  Located a quick hour away from Colorado Springs is the Echo Canyon River Expeditions where there are several different white water rafting options.  They have choices from a family rafting trip to the high adventurous class V rapids trip. 

Olympic Training Center

So you need a break from all of the high adventure?  Take a tour of the United States Air Force Academy with several aircraft exhibits.  Next on the tour list is the U.S. Olympic Training Center where athletes train for the Olympic Games.  A third great attraction to visit is the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum located downtown, with several exhibits to learn about the local history. 

There is much more than that to see and do in Colorado Springs so feel free to ask us.  You can also find more info by visiting www.visitcos.com/.        

Wanna visit Colorado Springs?  You can reach this lovely city with one connection from MDT.  Frontier Airlines has recently announced nonstop flights between Denver and Colorado Springs - so by booking your flight from MDT to DEN, you can then connect to Colorado Springs on the same airline! 

MDTrip Report: Colorado at a Glance

If you follow Harrisburg International Airport on Twitter (@HIAairport) and were following the #MDT_DEN hashtag, you know that members of our team were recently in the Denver, Colorado region.  We traveled there for meeting with various travel professionals in the region and to gather info on what makes that region of the country so spectacular.  Over the next couple of weeks we would will share with you about the various cities in Colorado that we visited and the unique opportunities they afford travelers.  

Today, we'll share a quick glance at each of these towns and cities - short and sweet.


Denver is an exciting nexus of arts, culture, history, music, food and outdoor adventures for the entire family. 


Estes Park is home to the majestic Rocky Mountain National Park and the famed Stanley Hotel.  


Lyons is an adorable town nested in foot of a red rock cliff and is a bedroom community featuring its own unique charm. 


Boulder is noted as one of the "Foodiest" locations in the United States and is situated in the midst of the Rockies.


Golden is full of small town charm and home to the Coors Brewery, this adorable city is nicknamed, the "Two Hour Vacation" spot. 


Colorado Springs boasts a plethora of attractions for varied interests including the Broadmoor resort, Garden of the Gods, the Olympic Training Center and much more.


So, stay tuned as we blog about the highlights of our trip to the Rockies.  You're in for quite the adventure as you read along.  Getting the itch to 'Go West'?  We can't say we blame you!  You can fly nonstop from MDT to Denver on Frontier Airlines every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday through September 2, 2012.

Aircraft of Our Lives: AS-202 Bravo

We will be running occasional posts in a guest series entitled "Aircraft of our Lives," featuring the favorite aircraft of pilots from around the globe.  Today, Etienne M. shares his about his favorite aircraft.  Etienne is an Air Traffic Controller ARR/DEP in Geneva (LSGG), Private Pilot, and fan of the New England Patriots.  Enjoy today's flight on the AS-202 Bravo.


The sun was shining on this cold December morning as I was filing my VFR flight plan from Sion (LSGS) to Lugano (LSZA). It was 2009, and I was enjoying a full month of flying in Sion as part of my training to become an Air Traffic Controller in Geneva. Skyguide, my employer, believes it is a good thing for its trainees to learn the basics of flying, and I couldn't agree more!

AS-202 Bravo

We had two AS-202 Bravos at our disposal, HB-HFH and HB-HFK. The Bravo - no connection to the Mooney M20 whatsoever -  was designed and manufactured by Flug- und Fahrzeugwerke Altenrhein (FFA) in eastern Switzerland as a trainer/aerobatics aircraft from 1969 until the early 90s. About 220 have been built, and most are still in use in flight schools. The Bravo offers two seats side by side in front, and an optional third seat in the back. Its fixed landing gear allows her to withstand some quite hard landings by the student pilots, but she is quite easy to handle, making such happenings a rarity. The Bravo behaves differently from the Cessna 172 I had flown in some previous flying experiences, so some adaptation time was required. She is equipped with a stick, and there is a throttle conveniently located on the left side of the cabin. This design proves to be very useful in the aerodrome circuit, as the pilot can fly "Hands on Throttle and Stick" very comfortably. The low-wing offers very good maneuverability while maintaining a good level of stability. The huge bubble canopy provides a great view of the surroundings, even to the rear. It really is a fun airplane to fly for training and sightseeing.

Sion airport is a wonderful place. It handles lots of GA, a growing number of business jets and a few airline flights during the winter. On top of that, it is a military base used by Swiss Air Force Tigers, Hornets and Cougars. The beautiful landscape - surrounding mountains over 10000ft high - makes it an aviation enthusiast's dream!

Bravo in-flight

This will be the first time I cross the Alps to go to the south, and I'm excited. Sion Ground clears us to hold short of Runway 25, intersection Bravo. After the run-up, we contact Sion Tower, and we are cleared for take-off. Power set, I release the brakes and the propeller drives us through the cold air: we are airborne! We climb on downwind before exiting the CTR to the east of the valley. The winter has painted the whole landscape in white, and no clouds are in sight. We keep climbing to 12500ft in order to tour the Matterhorn at a reasonable altitude. Since we are pretty heavy, the rate of climb is quite modest, and the Bravo is letting us know that we're not going to get much higher than that! The mountain appears to us in all its majesty. Its shape and surroundings are breathtaking, and it deserves to be known among the most beautiful things on this planet. It is with much respect that we wander around it for a while, before setting course to the Simplon Pass.

The Simplon Pass appears under our wings as turbulences start to make themselves felt. The Bravo is shaken quite a bit, but she keeps us bravely high above the ground. You're never too cautious when overflying a pass, as downdroughts can be pretty strong. There is a building down there, managed by Canons. You can find shelter there if you're into alpine skiing or just to find some peace away from the city. On the other side, there is Italy. I initiate the descent into the valley, and the Bravo takes advantage of gravity to accelerate a little. She definitely is not a Mooney by any means, but she's my beloved airplane, and right now, it is the most beautiful in the world. The huge canopy gives me a wonderful sight of the surroundings, and down the valley I can already see Verbania, a jewel of a city right next to the Lago Maggiore, or Great Lake, in Southern Switzerland. In this part, the spoken language is Italian, as opposed to French in the West, and German in the North. This may seem weird to many, but the Swiss take great pride in being able to make such diverse cultures and languages work together.

Matterhorn, The Alps, Switzerland

A few minutes later, we prepare to enter Lugano CTR via point W. Lugano is a small regional airport not far from the Italian border, where you can see mostly Saab 2000s and other turboprop aircraft. The approach for Runway 19, which is in use today, is quite tricky due to the height of the circuit. The Aerodrome Reference Point is at 915ft, and the circuit for aircraft up to 3000kg MTOW is at 2600ft. There is a high hill just below on the right on downwind, so we must maintain this altitude strictly. During the base turn and final, over 1600ft must be lost before touchdown. It is very important to be well configured and at the right speed, or else a go-around is a certainty. Luckily for me, my instructor has briefed me well, and keeps insisting on these points during the approach, so I'm able to land the Bravo softly, still a bit further than the desired touchdown point...

Sadly, we don't have much time to enjoy the Lugano sun, we've got to fly back to LSGS. We head swiftly to the "Bureau C" to pay the landing fees (yes, they are expensive in Switzerland) and back to the plane we go! No need for refueling, as we took enough Avgas in Sion for the return trip. This leg will take us north to overfly Lodrino, Ambri and the Nufenen Pass, then the Aletsch Glacier before landing in Sion. This time, the wind will be blowing against us, so the Bravo will need to work even harder.

I apply full throttle when cleared for takeoff, and as we leave Runway 19 the Lago di Lugano appears under our wings. In case of engine failure, we don't have many options other than attempting a "Sullenberger". Luckily for us, we won't be practicing this impressive feat today. The engine roars to perfection, and as soon as we can we turn left to the North to exit the CTR in the direction of Mt Ceneri. Just like during the first leg, we won't be entering any controlled airspace. The terrain is high, and airspace Charlie only starts at FL150 in this area. No need to contact the flight information service either, because the radio waves would have difficulties to meet us anyway. So it is in airspaces Golf and Echo that we wander around, climbing with difficulty up to 13500ft at some point. The navigation is made quite easy, as we are following a valley north-eastbound. The only tricky part is to identify the right pass at the end of the valley, because a mistake would be costly then. If we take a wrong path, the Alps are wide, and there aren't many adequate terrains to make a precautionary landing, or worse, an emergency one.

Aletsch Glacier

With the Nufenen Pass in sight, I set course to the Aletsch Glacier. A few nautical miles later, it appears to my enchanted eyes. It is so magnificent, so peaceful and yet mighty and dangerous... Parts of it look very flat, others more bumpy. It is so huge! This is something a pilot must see once, although with proper altitude clearance.

After a few minutes of enchantment, it is time to head back to Sion. The descent is pretty steep, and entry point Echo 1 gets there sooner than I expected. The speed went way up during descent, and things are starting to pile up in my student pilot's little head. Flying, checking, briefing, communicating... Echo 2 is there, and the nice ATCO clears us for a straight-in approach. The long runway appears reassuring, and I calm down. On the right, the beautiful castles of Valère and Tourbillon, up on the hill, watch me bring the Bravo softly back to earth on Runway 25, exhausted but so happy. This was an incredible morning, and the things I saw I will remember for a long time. I can't wait to go back up there!

Have you ever piloted or flown in an AS-202 Bravo?  Or, have you flown over the Swiss Alps?  Share your stories and photos with us about this beautiful country and landscape! 

American Eagle: Deep in the Heart of Texas

One of our 7 airline partners American Eagle, a division of American Airlines, along with its parent company, is headquartered in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. Our roving photog decided to embark on a journey to this amazing metroplex and chronicle the trip on Twitter, Facebook and eventually in a video on the HIA Observation Deck. The point of the social media journey was to take you, the follower, fan, subscriber; community member along too!

The journey began with a 7:30 am departure from MDT to Chicago - O'Hare (ORD) on American Eagle, followed by a 9:55 am connection from ORD to Dallas/Fort Worth airport (DFW) on American Airlines. The air travel experience from start to finish was a breeze thanks to capable and friendly airline staff and easy experiences at ORD and DFW. The air travel came to a close with an 11:50 (local time) arrival at DFW.

Upon arrival in DFW, our photog was off to visit the American Airlines Training & Conference Center (AATCC) and the nearby C.R. Smith Museum. These two facilities are an aviation geek and prop-head's dream come true. The AATCC shares it's campus with the Flight Academy, home to different training programs, including but not limited to pilot, first officer, and flight attendant school. The campus is located at what was formerly the Stewardess College in the 1950s.

The C.R. Smith Museum is a chockful of American Airlines goodness: memorabilia, audio/visual learning, aircraft parts, simulators and of course a retired member of the AA fleet, the Flagship Knoxville, a DC3 that began her maiden voyage in 1940. We would need an additional blog post to share entire museum experience; very interactive, and fun!

Have we interested you yet in hopping on a plane to visit DFW via ORD on American? Have you already visited these facilities? What did you enjoy the most about your visit to DFW?

Time for another $250 Facebook Giveaway!

Hey fans, followers, friends, subscribers, tweeps, and social media community! We've put together another giveaway just for you! What's the scoop you ask? Our Facebook fan page has been seeing weekly increases in fans joining the HIA social networking community and "liking" what we're doing and we're super appreciative. To show just how much we appreciate our fans we're giving away a $250 airfare gift certificate when we reach 2,000 fans. At that point out, our fans* become eligible for the giveaway.

The gift certificate is good toward airfare on an airline of your choice. The trip must originate or end at HIA. So if you live out of the area, but are planning on flying into HIA you could employ the gift certificate toward your trip! But, it doesn't stop there... if we reach 3,000 fans we'll do a 3rd giveaway of another $250 airfare gift certificate!

This is one of the ways we'd like to thank you for your continued support of our social networking community and the airlines serving HIA! Did you know that you can connect with our social networking community from our website? Be sure to let us know what you think of the new integration!

*If you are an employee of Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority, tenant or an airline serving SARAA/HIA, you and your immediate family members are not eligible for these giveaways.

Smaller Hub, Less Hassle

A few video thoughts on HIA's advantages as a smaller hub!

While we are a smaller hub, you can connect to anywhere in the world with one of the seven airlines serving HIA. Nearly one out of every ten passengers at HIA is flying internationally. That's 200 people a day! Our top international destinations, you ask? A variety of cities in Canada, Europe and Asia! So the next time you're planning that Caribbean vacation or thinking of heading to Europe or Asia on business, check the fares at HIA, you might just be pleasantly surprised!

Did you know that the average security line wait is 5 minutes or less? Yes, you heard us right, on average 5 minutes or less! When are the lines the longest you ask? Weekday mornings before 8 AM! However, we have a customer appreciation program that helps you beat those longer AM morning waits at the checkpoint. Check out HIA Flyer Rewards for more information on how you can shorten your wait at the security checkpoint!

Traffic problems? Not a problem, getting here is simple! There's no Beltway to deal with! Did you know that we recommend a 75-90 minute pre-flight arrival, not 3 hours? That means you have more time at home or in the office before you have to come to the airport! And, while you're here, if you've still got work to do or emails to send to family, you can use our free in-terminal WiFi while you wait! If you don't have a WiFi-enables or internet-ready device, we've a few internet kiosks you can use for a small fee!

If you're here and have a question, it's not too hard to find someone to help you out! There are airline and airport staff in the building at all times and they're willing to help. If you've got a question that you think you can answer by surfing, than check out our info center from your internet-ready device or by visiting the kiosk located our Customer Information in bag claim!

Did we miss anything that you think sets a smaller hub apart from the large? Are there any areas of your airport experience you'd like to see us improve upon?

Don't miss our airport updates on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube!

Lady Travel Talk: My Must-haves When Traveling Internationally

We are pleased to introduce our 8th guest blogger of the Lady Travel Talk, a mini-series tailor made for female travelers. This series covers a host of topics related to the travel experiences of each of the ladies contributing to the series.

Today's guest blogger Benet J. Wilson is a reporter for Aviation Week. She oversees the Aviation Week business aviation channel at aviationweek.com/biz. You can read more from Benet on her personal travel blog as well.

Today Benet describes what she's not willing to travel without when flying internationally.

Before I had my daughter four years ago, I was a regular world traveler. But after she was born, I cut back – drastically – because I hate being away from her for too long.

But it was back in the saddle for me recently when I was sent to Geneva, Switzerland, to cover the 2010 European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, the industry show of record for this region of the world. I was going to be there for a week, and I was excited to be leaving the country again after more than two years from my last trip.

So it was time to take out the suitcase and start packing. I have the I Heart Travel-Packing app on my iPod Touch, because my memory isn’t what it used to be, so I need all the help I can get. Believe me, it is NOT fun to realize you've reached your destination and forgotten to pack underwear. This app has sample lists for men and women; it also allows you to create your own list and create a master catalog where you can drag items for new lists. Plus if the worst happens – lost luggage – you have a list of what you packed.

I usually choose a neutral color theme – blue, black or taupe/beige – and pack accordingly. It’s amazing how an outfit can look different with a different jacket, sweater, scarf or accessories, and I chose black for this trip. I also take an extra pair of shoes.

There are also things I refuse to leave home without. One is a roll of toilet paper. Yes. TP. No offense, but European toilet paper is pretty harsh, and after a day I am not happy. I bring my own wash cloths. Again, European hotels don’t tend to have them in restrooms, and I like having my own. I also bring a vial of Dr. Brommer’s liquid Peppermint soap for its myriad uses – body wash, clothing wash and soothing foot wash after a long day of hoofing it at shows.

In my purse, I keep the following: hand sanitizer, Ibuprofen, Claratin allergy medicine, Tylenol PM, Neosporin, Cortisone, Band-Aids, hand lotion and cough drops. I also keep baby wipes from when my daughter was younger. They serve myriad purposes, including hand cleaner, facial refresher and seatback tray table and lav cleaner.

I have a back pack that holds all my work equipment (laptop computer, iPod, digital camera, video camera, chargers, notebooks, pens, etc.). I love the Bijoux Terner $10 dollar stores at airports across the U.S., and I love their pashima scarves. They can serve as a pillow, a blanket and a stylish wrap year round. I also keep portable snacks and a small emergency kit with vitals in case my luggage gets lost (and it has happened several times).

I hope my tips have helped. I’d love to know: what items are must-take for you on trips? What do you keep in your carry-on bag? What are some of your packing tips?

Be prepared! Fun is upon you!

Shhh! Can you keep a secret? We're going to let you in on a tidbit of information. HIA has some upcoming fun and exciting news regarding Fort Lauderdale, AirTran and freebies! That's right, we're partnering with low-fare airline, AirTran Airways and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau to bring you some fun and exciting prizes and giveaways over the next eight weeks.

Be prepared for fun-in-the-sun antics at the upcoming Harrisburg Kipona Festival. It involves scuba gear and "beachy" tourists! Followed, shortly there after by an announcement in the coming days of a very exciting beach-themed giveaway! Do you want to be amongst the first to receive the giveaway info? Then sign-up today for the fly HIA e-news!

Stay tuned to www.flyHIA.com/FLL for more information!

Summer Traveling!

We're in the midst of the busy travel season, the time right before Labor Day unofficially closes out summer and the kids head back to school.

Looking for some last minute ideas on where to travel to? The 6 airlines serving HIA have daily nonstops to: Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago - O'Hare, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Minneapolis, Newark, Orlando, Philadelphia, Toronto and Washington - Dulles. Not seeing the ideal vacation destination in that list, why not connect? There are 100s of connections available over any of those 13 cities on the airlines serving HIA.

Everyone knows that HIA is convenient. But thanks to offerings like AirTran Airways’ daily low fares and nonstop flights to Orlando and Atlanta, fares to most destinations are as affordable as ever. In fact, the average airfare across most destinations from MDT in 2009 is down by nearly 15%!

What is MDT?

When you book a flight to or from HIA, you will notice that our Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) booking code is MDT. That stands for Middletown, PA – where HIA is physically located. But that’s not the whole story: MDT also stands for the Money, Distance, and Time you could save by flying out of HIA.

Everyone knows that HIA is convenient. But thanks to offerings like AirTran Airways’ daily low fares and nonstop flights to Orlando and Atlanta, fares to most destinations are as affordable as ever. In fact, the average airfare from MDT in 2009 is down by 15%!

Learn more about how you can save Money, Distance & Time. And enter to win the MDT Giveaway! If you win the giveaway, what destination will you fly to? Do you have an MDT savings experience to share?

Internetiquette for Inflight WiFi Users

Now that AirTran Airways is the first major airline to have WiFi available on their entired aircraft fleet, they have authored an Internetiquette manual for inflight wireless network usage. Tips range from discouraging the use of the lavatory as your personal conference room (tip #134) to encouraging you to meet your row mates (tip #127) for the purpose of being friendly, not so that you can search for them online!

What tips are missing? Do you have any thoughtful suggestions?

AirTran Airways serves Orlando (MCO) and Atlanta (ATL) from MDT with daily, nonstop service on 717 aircraft equipped with free WiFi!

Security Checkpoint 101

Departing travelers, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) requests that you use the following tips for making your security checkpoint process as efficient and comfortable as possible.

Pack Smart

• Pack your carry-on in organized layers


• If you can put your oversized electronics in your checked baggage, please do so


• Perpare you ONE quart-sized, clear, plastic zip-top bag of liquids before arriving at the airport


• Coats and jackets are recommended to be packed in checked baggage


• Do not wrap gifts


• Undeveloped film should go in your carry-on bag, so that 800-speed or higher can be declared to a TSA officer for hand inspection


• When it doubt, leave it out. Check it or leave it at home.

Dress the Part
The following items may set off the metal detector alarm.

• Keys


• Loose change


• Mobile phones and pagers


• Personal Data Assistants (PDAs)


• Heavy jewelry


• Clothing containing metal buttons, snaps or studs


• Metal hair barrettes or other hair adornments


• Belt buckles


• Under-wire bra


• Body piercings (which may cause you to require additional screening)
  *you may ask to privately remove the piercing to avoid a pat-down search

Head coverings and religious garmets may be worn during screening. If your head covering or clothing (religious or otherwise) is loose fitting/large enough to conceal prohibited items you may be directed to additional screening.

Shoes, need to be removed before you enter the walk-through metal detector.

Have the Following Ready

• Boarding Pass


• Acceptable for of ID
  *Click here to see the full list of acceptable forms of identification.

Hassle-Free Security Tips

• Arrive on time


• Wear slip-on shoes


• Remove pets from their carrying cases
  *Hold them as you pass through the metal detector


• Take children/infants out of their baby carriers/strollers
  *Take them through the metal detector with you


• Think before you speak

The full reporting of this information is available on the TSA's web site. HIA recommends reading through the For Travelers content on the site before departing for the airport. Knowledge is power, so "know before you go"!

High-flying tweets!

That's right your regional airport is on Twitter, and we're tweeting away! @HIAairport will provide updates on weather, conditions, delays, and just "plane" fun conversations!

We would love to hear what's going on with you when you fly, so be sure to tweet your #MDT experiences and we'll make note of them. If you tweet @HIAairport with a couple days notice of a departure from HIA, you'll get a fun surprise from us!

So, if you're on Twitter and want a mutual follow, let us know. Leave a comment with your @account name or send us a reply on Twitter. Happy tweeting, tweeps!

Congressman Holden delivers $1.9 million to HIA

(Middletown, PA – June 15, 2009) Congressman Tim Holden, (PA-17) today presented the Susquehanna Area Regional Airport Authority (SARAA) with a check in the amount of $1,946,585 from the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Airport Improvement Program for Environmental Mitigation and Rehabilitation of the Runway Lighting System at Harrisburg International Airport.

“As part of the Federal Government's continuing investment into key aspects of our nation’s transportation infrastructure, today I’m pleased to deliver to SARAA slightly more than $1.9 million to be used on two important airport projects—one environmental related, the other safety related,” said Holden.

“On behalf of SARAA, I’d like to thank Congressman Holden, the FAA and our entire Congressional delegation for their continued support of aviation improvement projects at HIA,” said Tim Edwards, Executive Director. “Thanks to today’s announcement, we’ll be able to complete one major project and begin another important one here at HIA.”

The majority of the grant money delivered today is for the final construction of the airports new Waste Water Treatment Facility. The facility, scheduled to become operational in September, will be one of the first in the region to be compliant with the new discharge limitations established by the Department of Environmental Protection and Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay Strategy.

The remainder of the grant money will be used for a project to update and replace wiring, cabling and lighting along runway 13/31 at HIA.

Your new favorite hot spot is at 10,000 feet!

Ever have the urge to log onto your favorite airport's blog while you were cruising at 10,000 feet, but have the sudden realization that you couldn't? Well that landscape is changing as more and more airlines are adding inflight wireless internet services to their flights.

This morning, AirTran Airways announced that they will provide inflight WiFi on every flight by July 2009. AirTran is not the first to implement this amenity to its flights, click here for a list of WiFi-providing airlines.

Have you already surfed your favorite airport blog while inflight? If so, which airline were you flying at the time? Did you vote in the Every Flight effort AirTran spearheaded? We did! Our vote was for access to our blog for all AirTran passengers!